Best Cheap Cell Phones

Looking for a basic phone that won't empty your wallet? These models are some of the best easy-to-use and cheap cellphones from a variety of carriers.
Motorola i335

Motorola i335

Rugged prepaid push-to-talk phone

Pros: Rugged, military-certified design, Easy-to-use keypad, Clear, crisp voice quality, Push-to-talk function, Affordable price

Cons: Small, low-resolution display, No camera or music player, Outdated interface, Slow network speeds

Boost MobileNextel
Free with new contract
 
Motorola VU204

Motorola VU204

Basic budget phone with good call quality

Pros: Very good call quality, Attractive design, Customizable interface, Bluetooth, GPS Navigator

Cons: Small display screens, Poorly designed jack and battery covers, Low resolution camera, No music player

Verizon Wireless
Free with new contract
 
Samsung Sway U650

Samsung Sway U650

Sleek messaging cell phone for Verizon

Pros: Sleek slider design, Vibrant display, Great call quality, Bluetooth, GPS, Expandable memory

Cons: No thumb grip on slider, Sluggish, Proprietary headphone jack, Short battery life

Verizon Wireless
Free with new contract
 
Sony Ericsson TM506

Sony Ericsson TM506

Budget clamshell phone with robust features

Pros: Modern, sleek design, 3G network capable, Good feature set, Reasonably priced

Cons: Disappointing external display, Low volume, Poor speakerphone sound quality, Low-tech web browser, Spotty access to 3G network

T-Mobile
Free with new contract
 
Kyocera Neo E1100

Kyocera Neo E1100

Well-designed flip phone sticks to the basics

Pros: Unique design, 1.3-megapixel camera, Support for GPS and Bluetooth, microUSB memory card slot

Cons: No music player, No video support

MetroPCSU.S. Cellular
*Est. $30 with new contract
 
LG 225

LG 225

Solid voice-only prepaid flip phone

Pros: Compact clamshell design, Built-in camera, Displays menu in English and Spanish, Downloadable ringtones

Cons: Small external display, Spotty reception, Slow interface

Tracfone
*Est. $40, no contract
 
LG enV3 VX9200

LG enV3 VX9200

A very good all-around messaging phone for Verizon

Pros: Excellent build quality and design, Comfortable keyboard, Camera has flash, Vibrant LCD screens

Cons: Poor web browser, Non-standard headphone jack, Mediocre camera

Verizon Wireless
Free with new contract
 
Nokia 7205 Intrigue

Nokia 7205 Intrigue

Solid, stylish handset for Verizon

Pros: Attractive design, Clear call quality, Good camera, Long battery life

Cons: Casing attracts fingerprints, Nonstandard headphone jack, Mediocre video streaming, Poor web browser, music player

Verizon Wireless
Free with new contract
 
Samsung Magnet SGH-A257

Samsung Magnet SGH-A257

Unsophisticated messaging phone for AT&T

Pros: Very good messaging features, Texting-friendly QWERTY keyboard, Exceptional battery life, Slim design

Cons: Lacks multimedia functionality  , Slow EDGE network , Limited web browser, Wimpy VGA camera, Available only in bright orange

AT&T
Free with new contract
 
LG Xenon GR500

LG Xenon GR500

Good entry-level messaging phone for AT&T

Pros: Touch-screen display, Long battery life, Good call quality, High-speed network, Solid build quality

Cons: Confusing user interface, Touch-screen can be quirky, Limited email compatibility, Web browsing hit-and-miss

AT&T
Free with new contract
 
Samsung Solstice SGH-A887

Samsung Solstice SGH-A887

An affordable touch-screen phone

Pros: Bright display  , Sleek design, Long battery life

Cons: Finicky touch screen, Limited 3G coverage, Poor sound quality from speaker, Tedious browser

AT&T
Free with new contract
 
Samsung Axle

Samsung Axle

Basic phone for U.S. Cellular

Pros: Easy-to-use design, Good value, Bluetooth and voice commands, Good voice quality

Cons: Dated graphics, Low-resolution camera, Limited feature set

U.S. Cellular
Free with contract, $30, no contract
 

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